Those of us who have a child who was born by Cesarean (C-section) have always taken pride in the fact that our babies’ heads are much rounder than those of babies born naturally. But those perfectly formed heads may come with a cost. Two new studies have found that C-section babies are more likely to be overweight as teens and to suffer from allergies than babies born vaginally. [Read more…]

Dear Mr. Dad: With all the talk about bird flu and swine flu I’m in a panic about germs. I’m putting antibacterial soaps all over my house and hand sanitizers in the car and my kids’ backpacks. Is there anything else I can do?

A: The most important thing you can do right now is relax. There are a number of ways to reduce the risk that you or your children will get the flu (or come in contact with other dangerous germs), and antibacterial soaps and hand sanitizers are at the bottom of the list: Get a flu shots every year, stay away from people who are sick, cover mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing, wash hands thoroughly with soap and water (skip the antibacterial stuff, though—more on that in a minute), keep your hands away from your eyes, nose, or mouth (that’s the way most germs get into our body), get plenty of sleep, and eat right.[Read more…]

[amazon asin=B00AB0XRCW&template=thumbnail&chan=default]Guest 1: Bruce Sallan, author of The Empty-Nest Road Trip Blues .Topic: Taking a child to college—from the dad’s point of view.Issues: An 8-day, 3000-mile father-son trip to talk about life, the future, and the past.

[amazon asin=1588168581&template=thumbnail&chan=default]Guest 2: Davin Coburn, author of Who’s Spying on You?.Topic: The looming threat to your privacy, identity, and family in the digital age.Issues: How to prevent every move from being tracked on your smartphone; which phones offer the most protection; how avoiding EZpass, Zigbee wireless devices , and Android phones can help protect privacy; how to keep medical and pharmaceutical records private and avoid identity theft; warning signs of hacking or compromised security.

Guest 3: Robert Dietz an allergist and spokesman for the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology.Topic: Asthma and allergies.Issues: The increase in children suffering from asthma and allergies; treatment options; free asthma screenings nationwide (for info see http://www.acaai.org/).

[amazon asin=0345494512&template=thumbnail&chan=default]Guest 4: Kenneth Bock, author of Healing the New Childhood Epidemics.Topic: ADD and autism.Issues: The huge increase in the number of children diagnosed with ADD and autism; understanding the roles that diet, lifestyle, and toxins play in causing ADD and autism; prescription and non-prescription solutions that can reduce or eliminate symptoms.